


A New Brew

by taydev



Category: Bleach
Genre: Coffee, M/M, bistro au, byakuya is a goof but tries to hide it, fluffy stuff, he fails at hiding it, renji is an adorable goof, so much freaking coffee
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-22
Updated: 2014-10-22
Packaged: 2018-02-22 03:05:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2492144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taydev/pseuds/taydev
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A story of coffee and crushes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A New Brew

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thecopperscales](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thecopperscales/gifts).



> This is a belated birthday gift for my dear friend Thecopperscales, who came up with this cool headcanon so it's really all her fault this happened anyway! 
> 
> Thanks a bunch to Lucymonster for the much needed beta work and concrit.

Renji had developed a crush...and a habit of scanning the bistro to seek him out. He always anticipated the man’s arrival, so whenever he’d show up, Renji’s pulse would beat wildy.

“Look who's back," Kira said in a hushed tone, but loud enough for Renji to hear over the clattering kitchenware and chatter.

The man was also Renji's favorite customer, of course, but not that he had any way of knowing it. Renji had served him only once.

He was dubbed Hot Sumatra Guy, and for nearly two months, he visited the bistro for lunch almost daily. Yes. Renji kept count. And although the establishment was renowned for its amazing coffees and teas, he wondered if there was anything - or anyone else that brought the man there so frequently. Renji would many times find boredom with the familiarity of certain things (be it food, clothing style, various sources of entertainment, or work) and questioned how anyone could possibly want the exact same thing all the time. Not that Renji was complained. He looked forward to simply watching the Hot Sumatra Guy settle into the cozy corner table by the large window and sink into deep concentration. Or maybe it was relaxation? Renji really couldn’t tell the difference, but somehow, with only the tiniest speck of knowledge (likes Sumatra coffee, drinks the hell out of it every day), he became engrossed to the point where he had made a half-baked decision to turn down a higher paying job as a teacher’s assistant at the nearby culinary institute.

One of Renji’s truest passions was cooking. He had hoped for, and diligently worked to achieve such an opportunity for some-odd years. But there he stood, continuing on as a bistro server, for possibly the most silliest reason.

"I caught him eyeing you down soon as he walked in. Does it every time he’s here,” Shuuhei said, as he dried off a couple of plates.

Renji didn’t believe him. He’d never seen Hot Sumatra Guy look his direction since the day he waited him.

“Probably should serve him up before someone else does," Shuuhei teased, sidling up beside Renji.

"Heh. Right," was Renji’s delayed response. He grabbed a pen and ordering pad then sauntered toward his VIP. He regretfully hadn’t remembered his real name.

Hot Sumatra Guy, as always, sat patiently, at what had become his preferred seat by the window, scrolling and typing on a tablet while sporadically sipping on a glass of iced water. He seemed like one of those really busy types, minus the rudeness and impatience that most other 'busy people' tend to exude. He was very quiet and always alone.

"Good to see you here again, sir," Renji greeted with a jovial grin. "I’m Renji...waited you before, in case you forgot.” He cleared his throat. “Your usual?"

"Yes. Sumatra, please," the man said, casting him a brief glance.

"It’s really an interesting choice," Renji said, as he scribbled the order. He’d actually never tasted any of the dark brews - wasn’t much of a coffee drinker anyway - but when he did it was the sweeter kinds: blonde or medium roast. He had gathered just enough knowledge about the dark brews though, it came with the job and a few minutes on google, and he knew Sumatra was one of the boldest. The only one the establishment served that carried a hint of spice.

Renji looked up from his pad when he heard the smooth voice say, "Indeed it is." He caught the tiniest smirk form at the corner of the man’s lips. A soft smile spread across Renji’s face as though it were contagious, and he closed the order pad and slipped it into the large pocket of his apron.

“Your coffee will be ready soon,” he said, then gleefully bit his bottom lip as he pivoted toward the bar, where Shuuhei and Kira had been eavesdropping the entire time. Renji didn't say anything; he'd rather not entertain their goading, which seemed to get more obnoxious every time his crush visited the bistro. So while they gave him the silliest of smiles accompanied by doltish winks, he simply bypassed, thinking only of making the best coffee for his special customer.

Renji opened a vacuumed pack of roasted sumatra beans and spilled them into the grinder; the whir of the machine and crunch of the beans drowned out his low hum of a cheerful tune. Then he took the medium grind for brewing where the earthy, herbaceous aroma danced underneath his nose. He had always loved the smell of a fresh brew. He poured the steaming beverage into a mug, then, headed back to his patrons table, taking a deep breath to keep his nerves under control.

“Here you are, sir,” Renji said.

The man set his tablet aside. “Smells very pleasant. Thank you," he said, and when he took a slow taste from the mug he definitely looked relaxed...until he side-eyed Renji with an undertone of annoyance that made him feel shame, like he'd been caught trespassing on a sacred moment.

Renji swallowed thickly before saying, "Uh...is it your favorite?" Proper conduct would have had Renji leaving his customer to enjoy his coffee rather than hovering him like a full-fledged creeper, but luckily the man was polite enough to respond.

“It is,” he said, grey eyes seemed to pierce right through Renji’s as a slender thumb lightly brushed the rim as he lowered the mug from his lips. "Shouldn't you be..."

"Oh nah. I mean-" a tinge of red crawled up Renji's neck as his thoughts scurried in an industrious pursuit to conjure a totally not weird reason for why he was still standing around. "You're my last before break anyway...you drink it all the time. I was curious," was what he came up with.

And at that point, they might as well have been secluded in a soundproof room, the two of them, because even among the soft drone of surrounding conversations and pingning utensils, Renji thought it was possible to hear a pin drop in the lingering one second of silence.

“Oh,” the Hot Sumatra Guy finally said, his glare still glued to Renji’s face but morphed into a look of bemusement rather than annoyance when Renji, uninvited, seized the chair across him and plopped down in it. The sturdy wooden legs grated the floor loudly as Renji scooted closer to the table.

"Sorry," was Renji's apology for the noise...or for interrupting the man's break, and when Shuuhei walked past grinning, Renji nervously kneaded the side of his neck, head lowered before continuing. "So, is there something special about this one?"

"It’s good. I like it," the man said, a mask of forbearance plastered on his face.

"Heh, yeah...it’s pretty bold." Not Renji’s strongest attempt, but god, he was trying at least.

“Quite like yourself, it seems," Hot Sumatra Guy replied, examining Renji over the rim of his mug while taking another sip.

Unsure of whether his 'boldness' was a positive attribute or not, Renji's decided to keep chatting with his customer. He figured he'd find out soon enough if it was worth the risk. "Not that you have to, but we have others that are really great!"

"You've tried them all?" the patron asked, with a small lift of his brow.

With the prospect of them finally getting somewhere conversationally, Renji leaned back into his seat, exuding faux confidence on being the true coffee guru that he most certainly wasn’t. “Well, I’ve had my share of-”

“And you didn’t like the sumatra?” the patron asked, with a subtle but genuinely confused expression. Or was that disappointment?

“Wait, no. That’s not-”

“You seem adamant that I try something new and you’re knowledgeable of the beverages served. What would you recommend?”

Renji lit up, not because he was capable of sharing a long list of personal favorites, but because he stumbled upon something his best customer seemed interested enough to talk about. “Well, I like the blonde roasts, preferably the caramel espresso."

“Oh,” said the man, intently. “What others do you like? And what is it you didn’t like about the sumatra?”

Renji lowered his voice almost to a whisper when he answered. “Okay, truth is...I’ve never tried it. I hardly ever drink coffee. I just know stuff ‘cause of the menu." And that was the honest truth.

“I see,” Hot Sumatra Guy said. His lip twitched, restraining the chuckle rising in his chest, and when Renji saw right through the slip he smiled.

“Do I get a little credit?”

“Perhaps, but I recommend you actually try the things you suggest," the man said, good-naturedly.

"We both could try something new then," Renji said.

"Agreed," said Hot Sumatra Guy, then his phone interrupted with several beeps. He glanced at it, then pulled out his wallet to pay. "Thank you for your service,” he said, and then he was gone.

Renji hadn't even gotten his name.

~~~

Renji constantly checked the clock, anticipating the end of his shift because as soon as his crush had left, time moved about as fast as molasses leaking from a tree. But even so - as far as Renji was concerned - he still labeled the day as one of his best, and when the last trudging minutes finally passed he fled to his locker to collect his personal belongings (he couldn’t wait to waste away on the internet, lurking the Secret Crush Forums and various Are They Into Me sites). But it wasn't long before Shuuhei and Kira barged in the room, complaining about one of their nasty-piece-of-work patrons.

“...he demanded black truffles in the omelette, and I told him ‘we don’t have truffles here!’ I mean what sort of restaurant does he think this is anyway?” he groaned, as Kira nodded in agreement. Renji tried to make an easy retreat, but hadn’t exactly mastered how against Shuuhei’s perfect timing. “So, your little on-the-job mini-date. How’d it go?” Shuuhei asked.

“It was...nice. And that’s all you’ll know,” Renji said amicably, but meant every word.

“I overheard one of the customers say he’s loaded!” Shuuhei said, gathering his coat from the small locker.

As interesting a revelation it may have been, Renji didn’t want to stick around for gossip: he’d had a long day. He shouldered his bag and made for the exit.

“I heard it too! Something about head of the culinary school. Or maybe it was some other company...” Kira pondered.

Renji's stride came to an abrupt halt, momentarily stupefied in the realization that it was the job he rejected because of a little infatuation. The thought of him working for Hot Sumatra Guy...luck was never a friend of Renji's, but it seemed to have some kind of personal vendetta against him sometimes. Good thing he had withheld news of the job offer from Shuuhei, otherwise he'd never be let off the hook for it.

"You alright?" Shuuhei asked, and before allowing a response he rambled on, “Tomorrow’s happy hour at the bar downtown, I'll pick you up after my shift-"

“Sorry, I've got things to do," Renji said.

“But you’re never busy on your days off," Shuuhei argued.

“I am now. See ya." Renji was gone in a flash.

~~~

Google answered one burning question for Renji: the president of the culinary school was unmistakably his crush from the bistro. His name was Kuchiki Byakuya and his information was limited, exposing only his professional background and barely a scoop of personal details. Renji wanted to know more, but with eyelids heavy and body tired, he collapsed into a few short hours of shut-eye. And when he woke, his eyes were stuck to the computer screen again, fingers frantically mashing the keyboard keys, only taking the odd time-out to restlessly pace about his cramped apartment.

He’d sworn to himself that he’d never again let Shuuhei in on the affairs of his love life - or quasi love life - but he was aching to know whether Byakuya was at the shop or not, so he caved in and automatically reached for his phone.

‘Is he there?’

Sent. Renji stared at his phone for a minute expecting an immediate reply, but Shuuhei must have been busy, so instead he tried to distract himself by making a hot breakfast. He whiled away some time on youtube, surfed the net aimlessly for a while, until finally his phone beeped.

‘Nope. I swear he only shows up during your shift. Bet he’s probably found a way to memorize your damn schedule, man.’

Relieved that he wasn’t missing out on anything, Renji couldn’t suppress the goofy smile on his face. He went back to ogling the very professional image of Byakuya on the company's website and sporadically drifted off into fantasy when the thought occurred that he would mention the job thing to Byakuya.

He couldn’t wait to go back to work the next day.

~~~

The bistro opened and Byakuya didn’t show up for breakfast. Then he didn’t show up for lunch. Renji spent the first half of his shift feeling sick with disappointment, watching the door obsessively, heart dropping into his stomach every time a face that wasn’t Byakuya’s came through the door.

And then, just as he was about to give up all hope, a familiar voice parted the seas of his self-pity to request a table by the window.

“Byakuya! Hey!” Renji said, failing to conceal his yelp of excitement. Definitely didn’t want to come off too eager, and the most important thing for the moment was to get someone to swap places with him at the door. His eyes locked on Kira, who was walking toward his general direction, then produced the fakest loudest cough with a few ‘ahems’ for good measure. Renji always knew how to play it cool. Kira dawdled over staring at him, face dead-panned.

“What.”

“Man the door,” Renji whispers.

“Dude, I’m on break.”

“I’ll do your dishes for a week and you can get as tipsy as you want on my tab this weekend.”

Kira sighed. “Fine.”

Renji then turned to Byakuya, whose expression was set in that default insouciant mask (as though he didn’t hear a thing), and escorted him to his table.

“You shouldn’t have gone through the trouble,” Byakuya said, sliding into his seat.

Feeling brave and impish, Renji grins. “Thought it’d be in your best interest since I already know why you come here so much.”

Byakuya slightly raised a manicured brow and asked plainly, “Do you?”

Renji stood frozen as a moment of panic arose. Had he misread the vibes? Was he being too cocky? Moving too fast? Was Shuuhei off the mark? Was Byakuya’s question rhetorical or hypothetical??? Red nearly the color of his own hair inched up his neck. “...right. ‘course I do,” he stuttered. “Coffee. Which I will make for you now. Sir.”

Unintentionally holding his breath, he couldn’t retreat to the bar fast enough and for once he wished Shuuhei was around to throw him a lifeline...which most likely wouldn’t have been a lifeline anyway, but Shuuhei could’ve at least be there for him to yell at. So Renji made Byakuya’s coffee with haste, totally not humming a cheerful tune, but instead scrambling for some way to remedy the painful awkwardness he’d just brought down on himself. Unfortunately for him, the coffee was ready before he could come up with a plan.

Renji walked back to Byakuya’s table as though he were on a highwire and a fractional slip would send him to his ruin. And when he thought things couldn’t get any worse, he could feel himself breaking out in a sweat, and prayed it wouldn’t show through his shirt.

“Here you go.” Renji slid the mug on the table after completing what seemed to be an interminable walk of doom, but with eyes averted he failed to see the concern on Byakuya’s face.

“You don’t look well,” Byakuya said, staring intently.

Renji smiled weakly then swallowed, eyes finally meeting Byakuya's after sitting across him. Byakuya patiently awaited Renji's response, but Renji felt as though he'd literally get swept up and blown away in those stormy greys if he stared into them any longer.

"I'm fine," he said, looking downward, but no matter the effort put forth in his emotional concealment he wasn't exactly a fool. Renji knew how transparent he was and that it couldn't be helped, so the more relentless Byakuya's stare became Renji buckled and said, "Heard some things. Googled you." How's that for an icebreaker?

"Oh," Byakuya said, unsurprised and unfazed. He sipped slowly from his mug, heavy-lidded eyes plastered on Renji's face. "Find anything interesting?"

Renji huffs a laugh. "Didn't know you were head of the culinary school. I actually applied for one of the positions not too long ago. Was one of my biggest goals to work there..."

Byakuya's interest suddenly piqued. "How did you fare? If you don't mind..."

"Well, I sorta turned it down. Decided to stay...’cause I really liked seeing you around here," Renji mumbled, lowering his voice on the last bit. "It's real stupid, I know-" he continues, pulse thudding in his ears.

And by the look of things Byakuya was nothing short of amused, yet his offer to rescue Renji from embarrassment was a mere "I see," followed by deafening silence.

His heart plummeted to his gut and with limbs gone rigid, it took a substantial amount of effort to peel himself from the chair. He would have loved for the floor to cave in underneath him.

“I’m gonna go...I have other customers…” was all Renji could think as a way to escape.

Byakuya gave a subtle nod. “Of course.”

“I’ll be back with your tab,” he said and immediately walked off because any lame convo he’d ever thrown together before was much better than what blurted out of his damned mouth this time around. The shift wouldn’t end fast enough, he wished the day would have never happened, so to assuage the pain Renji would make things quick. After a deep breath, he collected the tab and returned to Byakuya, mustering up a display of professional, cordial barista and nothing more.

Renji laid the tab on the table. "Here you go," tone neutral as possible and again retreated to the bar searching for enough busywork to last him a few minutes. But what he missed was Byakuya's gaze following him, confused and slightly shattered. He missed Byakuya writing on a crisp napkin and placing it in the bill check folder after he scurried out of sight.

What Renji didn't miss was Byakuya's swift exit without even looking his way, and for a moment, he wondered if he'd made things awkward enough for Byakuya to never return.

He went back to collect the check and found not only cash for the coffee and a gratuitous tip, but a phone number finely written on the napkin. It was accompanied by a note that read:

Something new.

And with a flutter in his chest, Renji smiled from ear to ear.

~~~

Call vs Text was the ensuing battle for nearly two hours before Renji finally racked up the courage to message Byakuya.

'Byakuya! We should definitely do the thing you said on the note! Whatever that may be,' he sent, fingers trembling a bit and thoughts running two hundred miles an hour that he'd almost neglected to address himself.

'Oh. It's Renji. From the bistro.'

This subsequently lead to double the amount of time (that he spent trying to text) crawling out of his skin, checking his phone every minute for a reply. After he'd given up on waiting, he showered, scrubbing manically, and threw himself into bed. Sleep didn’t come fast enough.

He had drifted into a doze when the tri-toned alert from his phone sounded. He woke, but for a second thought he'd dreamt it until it sounded again. Rubbing the blur from his eyes, a surge of excitement - and nervousness - overtook the drowsiness as he began to read:

'Dinner, my place, at your convenience.'

Renji replied instantly. 'I'm off tomorrow!' He wasn't, he'd just call in sick for the day.

The text from Byakuya, a few minutes later, said: 'Very well,' followed by a request for Renji's address and the time Byakuya's driver would arrive to retrieve him. After committing to the occasion, Renji snuggled himself under the blankets once again, but was kept awake for all the right reasons his time.

It was a date and Renji was delighted.

~~~

He didn't have many outfits to choose from, nor did he have an acute sense of style, but did the best he could which took all but five minutes to consider himself passable. It wasn’t until the car arrived that its bespoke design gave Renji second thoughts about his choice of clothing, fortunately the driver put him at ease with casual and friendly conversation. As the sun was setting, they entered a quiet neighborhood with impeccable treelined streets, the large homes of various architectural design lit up and peeked between the branches. The car rolled up to a dark wooden planked fence which opened for them, and the house behind it was situated at a sensible distance. The two-storey minimalist style residence and small garden was well matched to its owner: simple elegance, clean lines, and the unmistakable influence of Japanese tradition.

A staff member greeted Renji at the sizeable pivoting door, then lead him into the spacious kitchen where angular black stone dinnerware was set on the island and the welcoming smell of savory food filled the room. Renji was relieved that by the looks of things it was a casual dinner date, and he stood for a moment reveling in the view of Byakuya administering the final touches of the meal.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Byakuya said. He must have had eyes in the back of his head since he hadn’t turned to see that it was Renji who had entered.

“No way was I gonna miss this,” Renji said, lips stretching to a grin. He loved cooking nearly as much as he loved eating and was ecstatic to see that he and Byakuya shared a common interest. “When we first met, I would’ve never guessed you cooked...I mean, you have chefs, right?”

Byakuya then turned, contemplation and amusement shown in his expression. He gestured for Renji to have a seat at the island and said “I cook on occasion and find it quite therapeutic. Something about the stirring, kneading, rolling. The smells, textures...the rewarding flavor and satiated appetite."

Renji was unaware that he was chewing his own bottom lip.

“I hope you’re hungry. Dinner will be ready soon,” Byakuya said, reeling Renji from his mini-trance and stepping toward the fridge. “Care for something to drink?”

“Water’s fine,” Renji said, and once handed to him, the glass was empty in three huge gulps. “About the other day...sorry I was weird.”

Byakuya gently placed the food onto the dinnerware and served it to Renji. “You are peculiar, but I won’t hold it against you,” he said, eyes lit, as he settled in the seat across Renji with his own plate of food. The sentiment made Renji chuckle.

Dinner was fairly quiet, mostly due to Renji stuffing his face after not eating since his morning bowl of cold cereal, but rather than an awkward silence, it was relaxing and mutually received. Renji was close to finishing his meal when he noticed Byakuya had stopped eating and was studying him a bit. Renji wondered if maybe he had come off as uncouth, practically making a mess while grubbing down on the tiniest morsels.

"Heh, maybe I should slow it down," he said. "It's just really good!"

But Byakuya didn't mind Renji's enjoyment of the meal, he was actually pleased with satisfying Renji's palate.

"The position you applied for has yet to be filled," Byakuya finally, said. "Others have opened that may be suitable for you as well."

"...Yeah!" Renji replied, eyes wide with elation until a second thought crept in. "Um, probably a silly question, but would we still see each other?" he asks.

"Of course there are stipulations pertaining to-"

"I like this...what we're doing." Renji interrupted, his voice low and hesitant.

Silence lingered for a second before Byakuya assured him. "It doesn't have to change."

And that was enough for Renji to simply nod with a smile of relief and continue on gleefully finishing the last bits off his plate.

After dinner, Byakuya offered dessert: cookies in the shape of a...was it a cloud with limbs? And it’s carved face a nefarious expression - furrowed brows with lips together smiling as if it would be the orchestrator of some upcoming apocalypse. “You make these too?” Renji asked.

“I did,” Byakuya answered proudly. That was not the answer Renji expected, but for someone like Byakuya, he found such a quirk endearing, to say the least. “How do you think they’d fare as an official baked good? I’ve been considering it,” he continued.

Renji looked at the baked creation and finally chomped its head off when its piercing stare and wicked grin overpowered him. Judging by Byakuya’s cooking, Renji wasn’t at all surprised that the cookie was just as tasty too...the design could use a little work. “Wow, this is really good!” he said, cheeks bulging as he took more bites of the sweet, chewy cookie. “Aren’t you gonna have one?” he asked, as Byakuya left the island for the coffee pot.

“I’ve tasted them. They are good, but I’m not entirely fond of sweets,” Byakuya explained. “Have as many as you like.”

All Renji could say about the twist of irony, and the fact that he was simply incapable of resisting sugary sweets, was “M’kay.”

Then a familiar aroma gently permeated the air. Two of them mingling together. In one pot a caramelly sweet blond roast, and the other pot was clearly brewing Sumatra. Renji grabbed another cookie off the platter as Byakuya poured two small mugs, each a different coffee type. Byakuya returned to Renji, this time taking a seat beside him, and served him his favored caramel espresso.

Then Renji switched the mugs. “Try something new. Remember?”

Byakuya nodded in agreement as they raised their mugs, but the sip ended with both men squinting with distaste.

“Kind of funky,” Renji said of the Sumatra while clearing his throat.

“I believe the word you’re looking for is ‘complex’,” Byakuya retorted. “This amount of sweetness can’t be beneficial to one’s health,” was his assessment of the espresso.

“Eh, it works for me,” Renji said. He swapped their mugs again and both instantly took a drink as though they were in dire need to wash the taste out of their mouths.

“Good point,” said Byakuya, eyes casted sideways, drifting downward to examine the contours of Renji’s chest, which were easily spotted underneath the cottony fabric of his shirt.

And Renji didn’t miss it. He nearly flushed beet red when Byakuya looked up and leaned in closer. Too close. A slender hand rose to his lips.

“You have a little foam…”

As though it were some kind of magnetic pull, Renji, without thought, bumped his lips on Byakuya’s. Teeth clinked clumsily, but rather than pull away, Byakuya lead them into a softer, slower kiss. Renji melt right then.

Renji licked his lips as they parted. “Sumatra tastes much better this way.”

Basking in each others company, Byakuya offered Renji a small tour of his home and a leisurely stroll in his gardens where they carried into the late night hours partaking in casual discussion which lead to banter, then daring wordplay, followed by exchanged glances that solidified a second date. And of course another kiss to end the night was inevitable.

Time seemed to have passed in a hurry when the driver pulled up in the oversized driveway, summoning them to part ways, and during the quiet ride back to Renji’s apartment, he felt the phantom of Byakuya’s lips on his, and a desirable taste lingering on his tongue.

~~~

“This place is a madhouse today,” Shuuhei said, weaving through the tables and to the register.

“You say it like it’s the first time we’ve had to suffer a crowd,” said Kira.

“Was hoping for things to be chill on my first day back,” Shuuhei explained, then surveyed the bistro in search for Renji, who had just stepped inside from his short break, his face almost a glow in the midst of an unforgiving crowd. Shuuhei was peeved. “Ditched us long enough, don’t you think?”

“Huh? I didn’t go a minute over my break time,” Renji shrugged.

“The Hot Sumatra Guy isn’t around today…”

Renji chuckled, unfazed and turned to occupy himself with a waiting customer. He knew Byakuya wouldn’t be there. And when the crowd thinned, he inconspicuously pulled the phone from out of his pocket to take a peek at the message. It was a time and place.

Renji looked out the window. Byakuya was walking by, glancing at him sideways with an inkling of a smirk on his lips.


End file.
